The best family-friendly wineries in Orange

You’d think a town named Orange would be famous for oranges. But it’s wine that’s fast becoming the drawcard for this charming Central West NSW town.

Orange NSW. Picture: Shutterstock

Oranges are not grown in Orange because the climate is too cool. The town was actually named after the Prince of Orange, who later became the King of Holland, not after the citrus fruit.

Orange does, however, produce almost half the NSW crop of Apples. And families can go apple picking in season.

And it’s perfect for growing grapes.

Orange is actually famous for grapes and apples. Picture: Shutterstock

“The long cool ripening and long sunshine hours ensure lovely purity of flavours and natural acidity,” David Cumming of Define Wine says.

Orange also has a diversity of elevation – meaning the region can grow a vast range of grapes, instead of just one or two varieties.

“The Orange region is defined by the 600 contour around the fertile Mount Canobolas,” David says.

“It ranges from 600m up to an impressive 1100 odd metres. This diversity ensures that the red varieties grown on lower elevation ripen well with finesse and elegance, and the higher elevation vineyards with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir offer complex flavours with wines of longevity.”

Traminer grapes in an Orange winery. Picture: Shutterstock

The cool climate is also well suited to the likes of sauvignon blanc, riesling and pinot grigio.

The vineyards are now so good that winemakers from other regions such as the Hunter Valley and Mudgee are looking to Orange for their grapes.

“The Hunter Valley’s Brokenwood and Gartelmann Wine have Orange region wines, as does Helm Wines (one of Australia’s finest Riesling winemakers). Mudgee’s Logan Wine and Gilbert Wines both have a number of Orange region wines in their portfolios. This shows the quality of grapes being grown in Orange. “

Pinot grapes growing in an Orange winery. Picture: Shutterstock

Orange wine production is booming. Well-established winemakers such as Bloodwood, Swinging Bridge and Angullong are honing the quality of their wines. New winemakers are also setting up wineries in the region.

“These young winemakers, such as Will Rikard-Bell, Matt Eades and Matthew Atallah, are making fantastic wines that are gaining recognition within Australia,” David says.

Orange is also taking control of the production process, rather than shipping their grapes to the Hunter Valley or Mudgee, as was done when the region was younger. That means families can see the process of turning grapes into wine and tour the facilities.

These are the best family-friendly wineries in Orange – with David’s tips on which wines you must taste at each winery.

Heifer Station Wines

Heifer Station Wines Orange.

Heifer Station Wines has wine tasting and sales in a 100-year-old woolshed. Kids will love the petting zoo and farmyard which has a miniature pony, goats, a pig and a heard of Highland cattle.

This kids will love the pony. Picture: Heifer Station Wines

Cheese boards, bicycle hire and picnic packages available to book too.